Organ-action.



J. T. AUSTIN.

ORGAN ACTION.

APPLIGATION FILED DBO.30,190'7.

1,107,128, Patented Aug. 11, 19m

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J. T. AUSTIN.

ORGAN ACTION.

APPLICATION FILED 1130.30, 1907. l 107, 1 28. Patented Aug 11, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEBT J. T. AUSTIN.

ORGAN AGTION.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.30,1907. 1 1Q7 128 Patented Aug.11,1914.

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UNITED STATES PATENT onnrcn.

JOHN T. AUSTIN, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR T AUSTIN ORGAN COM- PANY, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

ORGAN-ACTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 11, 1914..

Application filed December 30, 1997. Serial No. 408,502.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, JOHN T. AUSTIN, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Organ- Actions, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

Ihis invention relates to improved valve mechanism for operating, or controlling the operation of, the various. note sounding devices of musical instruments. By this invention each row of perforations in a valve sheet, or perforated note sheet, as it is commonly called, serves through a single tracker duct, and a single primary, to selectively cause the sounding of the corresponding note in different stops or sets of pipes of an organ, the selection being determined by the strength of impulse of the primary, which in turn is determined by the relative sizes of the succeeding perforations. Thus the smaller perforations may be utilized to control the notes of one stop or set of pipes,

" while the larger perforations may concurrently serve to control the notes of a different stop or set of pipes. In this way the solo or melody notes of a musical composition may be represented on the valve sheet by perforations of one size, while the notes of the desired accompaniment may be represented in the valve sheet by perforations of a different size, with the result that the solo or melody notes, and the accompaniment notes, may by the automatic selection of the perforations themselves, be played on different stops, suited to the solo and accompaniment, respectively, even though the different sizes of perforations follow each other in the same line, acting upon a single duct and primary.

This invention also includes a combined electric and 'ineumatic system, operated by the aforesaid single primary and tracker duct, in which. any of the notes selected as above described may be played by the com hiucd electric and pneumatic systems, or by either of them alone, in addition to the couplers and other combinations obtained by the ordinary coupling or composition device: of an organ.

Figure l of ,the drawings is a plan view of a group of these improved actions. Fig. 2 is an end view in section taken on the line 2 of Fig. 1, showing the valve and contact devices at rest. Figs. 3 and 4t are end views similar to that of Fig. 2, but showing the action in the different phases of its operation, due to the differing sizes of the succeeding erforations in the valve sheet. Fig. 5 is a ragmentary side view of an action chest, showing an arrangement of the electrical connections for the separate actions. Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are sectional end views similar to those of Figs. 2, 3 and 4, showing modified embodiments or applications of the invention. Fig. 6 illustrates the employment of two springs for the valve lever,

which by their situation relative to the valve leverallow the two ends of the latter to be lifted in the desired sequence. Figs. 7 and 8 lifted by the initial or lighter pressure through a small perforation, is closed down again upon the lifting of the other end of the lever, so as to avoid, when desired, the concurrent sounding of the respective notes controlled by the two ends of the lever.

The controlling valve sheet or note sheet 10 operates in conjunction with the tracker 11 provided with the ducts 12. The note sheet is provided with note perforations 13 and 14 of different sizes, this difierence in size enabling them to sound two different notes, or the same note in two different stops, as above indicated. By this feature I am enabled to. employ a stop suitable for the playing of the solo passages while at the same time playing a suitable accompaniment on other stops, using the same tracker ducts both for the solo and the accompaniment stops.

Each of the tracker ducts 12 leads to a primary pneumatic, which in the embodiment shown in the drawings consists of a die ,hragm or pouch 16. Those primary pneumatics are preferably grouped as shown in Fig. 1, in staggered or alternated succession, in order to get the different actions closer together, while providing for each action a di:-1phragm or pouch of ample size. Each diaphragm rests-beneath or operates upon a double acting valve or contact closing member 18, which in the embodiment herein shown is a lover provided with valve pads or pallets 19 and 20, covering the open-. ings of the windways 21 and 22, respectively. These windways lead to the mouth pieces of different pipes or other note-sounding devices, or to pneumatic valve mechanismsfor controlling the sound of the said devices, all

, of which maybe of ordinary. or wellv known construction, and therefore are not. illustrated herein. The pouches 16 are provided with suitable bleed holes to enable the air to be exhausted from the tracker ducts 12 when the trackerapertures are covered by carried by the lever; and this action of the air pressure is yieldingly' opposed by a spring or similar yielding resistance acting against a different portion of the length of the lever, thus causing the least resisting v end of the lever to lift advance of the other end, and thereby opening one of the windways in advance of the other; andif the lever is provided'with electric contacts, closing one of those contacts in advance of the other. For conciseness and definiteness of expression, these bars or levers 18 are herein termed levers, and the described two-part or two-step or two-period action of the lever is herein designated its two phase movement. For the same purpose, the term indirectly opposed is employed to designate the action or relation to the lever of the forces which'act upon the lever at difierent portions of its length. Thus the ends of the lever are made to riseand fall by the tilting of the lever upon a kind of floating or indefinite fulcrum point under the control of theindirectly opposed forces and according to the varying percussive strength of the air pressure admitted through the different'sized perforations of the note sheet. Obviously the expansive or percussive force of the small volume of air that can be admitted through a small perforation is less than the similar force due to the admission of a larger volume of air through oneof the larger perforations.

As illustrated in most of the figures, the yielding opposition or resistance to the active operating movementimparted. by and through the pouches 16, consists of a spring 40 engaging each of the levers 18' approximately at the center of its length while the pouch or diaphragm 16 is disposed toward one' end of each lever from itscentral spring-pressed portion. Thus the initial action of the diaphragm is to lift the end of the leverto which it isnearest', as shown in Fig. 3, thus opening the windway 21, while the opposite end of the lever is held down by the action of the spring 40, thus keeping the windway 22 closed. The. respective levers are loosely held in proper register with the windways by means ef guide'pins 42, projecting through slots in the ends of the levers.

Limit stops are provided for lim ting the upward movements of each end of the levers. In the present instance the fixed contacts 27 and 28 constitute the limit stops. Or the guide pins 42 maybe made to servetas limit stops, by providing; them with a head, or by bending the uppenend over, similar to the contacts 27 and..28, especially when using the levers only for pneumatic systems, and without the electrical attachments.

The dilferenti stops orsets of note sounding devices maybe near to, or distant from, the actions herein shown, the windways 21 and 22 being extended to any desired extent by means of. tubes. The tracker bar 11 is commonly appurtenant to the console of the instrument, which may be at any convenient point relative to the primary action chest, the ducts 1 2.being extended to the required extent'by means of tubes.

In many instances, particularly where the pipes other note sounding devices are located at a considerable distancefrom the actionfchest, it is desirable toemploy electrical contacts and connections between the primary actions and the stop or pipe actions. These electrically operated stops or pipes maybe employed either with or instead. of the pneumatically operated stops or pipes. Hence it is desirable to provide a primary action that shall be capable of operating pneumaticstop devices or electric stop devices. Therefore I have shown herein as the most complete and comprehensive embodiment of the present invention, an arrangement which is adapted without any change to operate pneumatic and electric stop devices, either independently, or in conjunction.

The double acting lever 18 serves also as a contact lever, being provided with the ,contacts 25 and 26, which coact with the terminal contacts 27 and 28, respectively, which are preferably supported as herein shown, by being driven into holes inthe base 30, with their upper ends extending over their respective coacting contacts 25 and 26 of the contact lever 18, as best shown in 5. ing these contacts in a comprehensive electric' system their lower ends 31 and 32 are extended below the base 30 and are provided with connecting wires 33 which are inde pendently connected with the respective magnets or solenoids 34, or other electrically operated devices for causing the respective pipes to sound. The several electric circuitsmay be united in a battery wire 35,

leading to the battery 36, from the other As a convenient way of connectside of which the battery wire 37 connects with the wire 38, from which branch circuits are extended for the respective actions, terminating in the contacts 25 and 26. A convenient way of thus distributing and completing these circuits is shown in the drawings, in which the springs 40 of the respective valve and contact levers are utilized as a part of the circuit. These springs as herein shown extend downwardly through, and are secured in the base 30 and are in contact .with the battery wire 38. The upper arm of each spring 40 extends over its valve lever or contact lever, and serves to yieldingly hold that lever in its inoperative position, in whichit closes the windways 21 and 22 and leaves the contacts 25-27 and 26-28 open, as shown in Fig. 2. In order to complete the electric circuit between the springs 40 and the respective terminals '25 and 26, the bridges 41 are preferably employed, each bridge being provided with a hole through which its spring 40 passes, extending therefrom to the ends of the valve or contact lever 18. The ends of the bridge may form the contacts, or they may be, as

herein shown, provided with supplemental.

contact pieces 25 and 2G,made of platinum or other suitable metal.

In the embodiment of the invention shown herein the windways 21 and 22 open into a vacuum chamber 45, in which the valve levers 18 and their appurtenances are located. The chamber may be made in any convenient way, as by the frame 46 and the cover 47 which may be of glass in order to enable the working of the valves to be observed. It will be understood, however, that atmospheric or higher pressure may be employed, since these, like other pneumatic devices of this class, are operated by difl'erencesin air pressure, and the substitution of different pressures is a matter well within the knowledge of those skilled in this art.

In some cases it may be possible and desirable to place all of the action pouches in a single row at one side or the other of the action chamber, in which case the ends of the levers which are disposed on that side will all be lifted first, and the electric circuits and windways must be arranged accordingly, but in order to gain compactness and ample size and power in the actuating pouch, I prefer to arrange the pouches in two rows, alternately on opposite sides of the action chamber as herein shown, in which case the ends of the levers which are lifted first will obviously be similarly alternated. In other words, the end of each lever to which its pounch is nearest, will be the first to lift under the action of the small perforations 18, hence the windway and the electric contacts nearest to that end must be connected to the note sounding devices, generally the accompaniment devices, which are to be eperated by the small perforations, thus making those windways and contacts come alternately on opposite sides of the action chest as shown by the alternated positions of the wires 27 and 28 in Fig. 1. The operation of these devices is as follows, it being assumed that the tracker bar and note sheet are in the open air, under atmospheric pressure, and that a suitable vacuum is main tained in the action chamber 45 For convenience of explanation it is also herein assumed that the windways 21 and 22 and their associate primary pneumatic 16 with its connecting tracker duct 12, shown in the sectional views, are arranged to sound the note C in two diiferent stops of an organ, the windway 21 leading to the C-pipe of a stop suitable for playing accompaniment passages under the control of the small perforations 13, while the windway 22 leads to the corresponding C pipe of another stop suitable for playing solo parts under the control of the larger perforations 14.

The contacts 27 and 28 and their connecting wires 33 are arranged in two separate circuits, which by means of two difierent sets of the magnets '34, work two different series of stops, the contact 27 operating an accompaniment stop, while the contact 28 operates a solo stop. Thus the two windways and the two contacts operate four stops or sets of stops, which may be put in or out of action or coupled in any wel known way, as for example by means of stop knobs appurtenant to the manuals of the organ, so that the organist can sound some of the solo notes on one solo stop by means. of the windway 22, andsound other solo notes on a. different solo stop by means of the electric contacts 28.

As illustrated in Fig. 3, when one of the small perforations 13 reaches the tracker duct, the air is admitted through that duct to the underside of the pouch 16, and being of small lifting power raises only the left hand end of the valve lever 18, thereby opening the windway 21 to the vacuum in the chamber 45 and operating the note C of the particular stop with which that windway may at that time be in communication. This movement of the left hand end of the valve lever also closes the contacts 26 and 28, thereby energizing the solenoid 34 of the pipe C in the particular stop or stops which at that time may be drawn or coupled for action.

When one of the larger or solo notes 14 reaches the tracker duct, asshown in Fig. 4, the increased pressure lifts both ends of the lever 18, thus opening both windways and closing both electric contacts and thereby found preferable to employ the pneumatic windways 21 and .22 for operating stops which arevsituated near to the'console or w action chest,-e1nploying the electric contacts and circuits for .operating the stops which are more distant, so asto more nearly synchronize the action of widely separated stops. By thus providing the levers 18 with valves and with contacts, thereby adapting them for use either with pneumatic or electric actions, or both, they may be manufacturedin large quantities, with out considering the character of the parti'cular actionor organ with which they may happen to be used. Thisuniversal type of action also facilitates the'subsequent extension of the organ; for example, an organ may at first be provided with a limited num ber of stops operated pneumatically through the windways 21- and 22. Later on itmay be found desirable vto add more stops, which may then be operated electrically by means of the contacts 25-27 and 26-28, thus saving the cost ofncw actions.

The windways 21 and 22 may be combined or connected in any well known way by means of pneumatic couplers. The circuit wires 33 may also be connected or combined or extended by means of electric couplers in various ways which are familiar to those skilled in this art. i

p The springs 40 may be dispensed with by suitably shaping andwe'ighting the lever, so that, its lighter endwill be lifted first 'under the actions of the smaller perforations 13, the heavier end remaining closed until operated from the larger perforations 14. When" it is desired to provide such a weighted lever with electric contacts, the absence of the circuit carrying, function of the spring iO may be compensated for as shown by the dotted line variation in form of the spring40, in Figs. 2, .3 and 4. In'that case, the spring 40 is shortened, terminating as shown by the end 89,.shown in dotted lines, the end of which extends adjacent. to the contacts 25 and 27,21 similar row or series of contact wires tOjand battery wire 39' being employed in connection with the contacts 26 and 28 at the opposite ends of the v valve levers. The contactpieces 25 and 26 form bridges, which, when the respective I ends of the valve lever are raised, connect in circuit the ends of the contact wires 39 and the contact wires 27 and 28, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. v

Instead of employing a single spring a 40 for each of the valve levers, two springs may be employed, as shown in Fig. 6, one

at each end of the lever, and of such tensets or series of springs 51 and 52, and battery wires 53 and 54 are employed, one set at each side of the action box, and arranged at the ends of the respective levers controlled by them. The coacting contact wires 55 and 56 are similar in arrangement and position to those shown in the previous fig ures, but extend somewhat higher above the levers, so that the respectivecontact springs 51 and 52 will pass beneath them. The

pneumatic diaphragms or pouches 58, and

the contact springs 51 and 52 are disposed unequally relative to the valve lever, so that one end of the lever is lifted before the other under the influence of the small perforations, as illustrated in Fig. 6, the stronger impulse communicated to the'pouch by the ripening of the larger a ertures operating as before to lift the right and end of the lever to open the respective windways 59 and 60,

and thus sound the corresponding notes.

In the embodiment represented'in Figs. 7 and 8, the pneumatic diaphragms or pouches 62 are shown to be situated "approximately at the center of the length of the levers 63, the latter being held down by p a single spring 64, at one side of the pouch. Any suitable guides, as the pins 66, may be employed for guiding the lever during its lifting movement. A limit stop 65', consisting of a bent pin or staple, extendsover the valve lever adjacent to the center of its length. The initial or light impulsegiven to the valve lever by the passage of one of thesmaller perforations 13 over the tracker,

,raises the left hand end of the lever, .as

shown in Fig. 7, thus opening the windway 68 and sounding the corresponding note, the lifting movement of that end being arrested by the limit stop 65. When the stronger lifting impulse is'given from the larger'perforations 141 the right hand end of the lever is lifted as shown in Fig. 8, thusopening the windway 67, and sounding the corresponding notes. This second lifting movement of the lever turns it on the limit stop 65 as a fulcrum, thus lowering the left hand end of the'lever and closing the left hand windway 68. During the initial lifting movement of the valve lever shown in Fig. 7, it operates as a lever of the second order, whereas dering its succeding movement, shown in Fig. 8, it operates as a lever of the third order. It may sometimes be considered desirable thus to avoid concurrent operation of the notes controlled by the two ends of the valve lever, as is shown in Fig. 4; and one of the advantages of the arrangement shown in Figs. 7 and 8 is that each of the windways 67 and 68 is closedwhen the other is opened.

' tern, according to the style or modification adopted; and when assembled they may be disposed uniformly, or the alternate levers may be reversed end for end, as indicated in Fig. 1.

For completeness, and especially for definiteness of description, it is here assumed that the larger perforation 14 of the note sheet represents or calls for the sounding of solo or melody notes, and the smaller perforations 13 represent or call for the sounding of accompaniment notes of a composition. This, however, is in no sense a necessary' limitation, since either of the difi'erent size perforations may be employed for any stop or stops.

The two-phase, or two-fold movement of the valve levers or contact-making levers 18 is or may be the resultant of several factors,

' namely the actuating impulse througn the pneumatic 15, the yielding resistance afforded by the springs 40, the relative strength of the pneumatic, and the resistance, and

their respective points of a plication rela-,

tive to each other and to t e valves. The drawings show some of the possible variations in the manner of combining and applying these varying factors so as to produce the desired movements of the valve or contact making levers. It will be obvious, however, to anyone skilled in this art, that the construction, arrangement and relation of these parts may be varied in many ways, within the meaning of the claims, which are intended to be of the broadest scope and not limited to the specific constructions and embodiments which are herein shown as being illustrative of the invention.

I claim as my invention 1. Valve .mchanism for musical instruments, including a plurality of integrally rect contact with their said connection, and means for controlling saidopera-tion, whereby initial movement of the connection opcrates one ofsaid valves and the continuing movement of the connection in the same direction operates another of said valves.

Valve mechanism for musical instruments, including a plurality of integrally connected valves, single actuating means for operating said valves through direct contact with theirsaid connection, and means'for yieldingly opposing said actuating means to hold one valve still while the other valve is being moved.

3. Valve mechanism for musical instru ments, including a plurality of integrally connected valves, a single motor for actuating the said valves through their connection, and means for controlling the operating action by indirect and yielding opposition whereby the said valves are operated in predetermined sequence by successive movements of the motor in one direction.

4:. Valve mechanism for musical instruments, including in combination a plurality of valves, an integral connection between the valves, a single-acting pneumatic motor directly engaging with the said connectionfor moving the valves, and a yielding resistance for opposing the operating movement, the opposing force of the motor and the saidresistance being applied at difi'erent points in the length of the connection, whereby one of said valves is moved in advance of the other valve.

-5. Valve mechanism for musical instruments, including a plurality of valves, an' integral connection between the valves, a single pneumatic motor acting directly upon the connection to operate the plurality of valves by successive movements in the same direction, and means for applying resistance to the movement of the connection at one side of the point of action of the motor.

6. Valve mechanism for musical instruments including a plurality of valves, an integral. connection between the valves, a single acting pneumatic motor directly engaging with the connection for operating the said valves, and means for imposing resistance to the movement of the said connection, the engagement of the motor and the resistance being at different points of the length of the connection.

7. Valve mechanism. for musical instruments including a plurality of valves, means connecting the said valves, and means for operating the valves through the said connecting means, consisting of a single motor for moving the valves in one direction, and yielding means applied to the said connecting means at a point between one of said valves and the point of application thereto of the motor for opposing the movement of the valves.

3 mouse 8. Valve mechanism for musical instruments including a plurality of valves, means connecting the valves, and means for op eratin the said valves includinga pneumatic motor for moving them in one direc tion, and a yielding r,esistance, the motor and the resistance being applied at difi'erent portions of the connection between the said valves, whereby first one valve and then another is operated by the continued movement of the motor in the same direction.

9. In notecontrolling mechanism for musical instruments, the combination of a ferent amplitudes of movement, whereby initial movement of the operating means moves one valve, and continued. movement oi the operating means moves both valves.

11. The combination, ina musical instrument, of note-sounding devices and notecontrolling mechanism therefor, including two independent passages leading to a plurality of the note-sounding devices, a valve lever having two valves controlling the respective passages, means for 'yieldingly holding the valves stationary by different pressures, and operating means engaging the lever between the said valves to move the lever with difierent amplitudes of movement, whereby initial movement of the said operating means moves the valve having the least opposing pressure, and further movement moves the other valve also.

12. A pneumatic action for organs having in combination two windways, a valve lever having two valves closing the respective windways, means for yieldingly holding the lever to'close the said valves, and actuating means engaging the lever between the said windways and in direct 0 position to the said holding means, whereldy one windway may be opened without the other.

13. An organ action including in combination a plurality of connections "leading to note-sounding devices, a member provided with cooperating connections for the notesounding devices, and a pneumatic motor bearing against the said member at a point intermediate its said connections, whereby the movements of the saidmemberwith and relative to the said motor-serve to open and close the said connections.

"14. An organ action including in combin'ation a plurality of connections leading to note-sounding devices, a member prov ded with a plurality of cooperating connections for the respective note-sounding devices, and a pneumatic motor acting upon the said member at a point between its said connections, whereby the said member may oscillate relative to the said motor while being moved toward and from its said connections.

15. A combined electric and pneumatic action for musical instruments, including in combination a wind port, an electric circuit having one of its terminals disposed in proximity to the said port, an operating lever swinging directly between the saidv port and terminal, and provided with a valve for the port and with a terminal coacting with the first named terminal, and a primary motor having a direct tracker bar connection for operating the said lever. I

16. A. combined electric and pneumatic action for musical instruments, including incombination a wind port and an electric circuit terminal disposed in proximity to each other for respectively controlling two different note-sounding devices, an operating lever swinging directly between the said port and terminal, and provided with a valve for the port, and with a coacting contact for the said terminal, and a primary motor having a direct tracker bar connection for operating the said lever.

17. A combined electric and pneumatic action for musical instruments having in combination a plurality of windways, and a 111- rality of electric circuits, all for control diderent note-sounding devices, a combine valve and circuit closing lever provided with valves for closing the respective windways,

and with means for closing the respective circuits, means for yieldingly holding. the

lever in one of its positions, and actuating means for engaging the lever in'indirect opposition to the said holding means, whereby one of the valves and one of the circuit closing means may be operated without effecting the other valve and the other circuits closing means.

18. A combined electric and pneumatic action for musical instruments, having in com-. bination two windways, and two electric circuits for controlling difi'erent note-sounding devices, a combined valve and circuit-closing lever provided with valves for opening and closing the windways, and with means for opening and closing the circuits, means for yieldingly holding the lever in one of its positions, and means including a pneumatic tracker action for moving the lever. in indirect opposition to the said holding 19. The combination, inprgan actions;

a plurality of note-sounding devices, an,0perating member common to the said plurality of devices, actuating means for moving said member, yielding resistance means indirectly opposed to the actuating means, and a combined stop and pivot for the said operating member against which the said member is stopped after operating one of said note-sounding devices, and upon which it swings as a pivot to operate another of said note-sounding devices.

20. The combination, in or an actions, of a plurality of note-sounding evices, an operating member common to said plurality of devices, actuating means for moving said member, yielding resistance means acting on the said member, and a combined stop and pivot against which the operatin member is carried by the actuating means, a 1 combined and operating to move the said member against the said stop in actuating one of the note-sounding devices, and to swing it on said stop as a pivot to operate another notesounding device.

21. A valve lever provided with two operating portions, actuating means applied at different points in the length of the lever for actuating the said portions separately in sequence, and a stop engaging the said lever between its said operating portions, and serving as a fulcrum whereby the first operating portion is returned to its resting position by the actuation of the second portion.

22. A valve lever provided with two valves, a spring for yieldingly holding the lever in. its resting position, a pneumatic motor acting upon the lever at one side of the point of application of the spring, for actuating that side in advance of the other side, and a stop engaging the lever between its two valves whereby the continued operation of the motor in actuating the second portion, swings the lever on the stop as a fulcrum and returns the first actuated portion to its resting position.

23. The combination with a pneumatic and means operated by the said pneumatic for selectively sounding an of a plurality of notes, according to the orce of impulse of the said pneumatic, of means for admitting varying amounts of air to the said pneumatic to vary the force of its impulses.

24:. The combination with a single tracker duct, of a pneumatic connected therewith, means operated by the said pneumatic for selectively sounding any of a plurality of notes according to the strength of operation of the pneumatic, and a va ve sheet having perforations of differing sizes registering with the said duct in succession, to admit varying amounts of air to the duct.

25. The combination with a single tracker duct, of a single pneumatic connected with the duct, operating means having a twomatic for sounding one or more notes, and a valve sheet provided with perforations of different sizes, registering in succession with the said duct to admit varying quantities. of air, and thereby produce the variations in impulse of the said pneumatic.

27. A valvemember for controlling-a plurality of note sounding devices by a twophase movement, a pneumatic operably con-- nected to the valve member to impart the said phases of movement by impulses of differing strength, a single tracker duct'leading to the said pneumatic, and a valve-sheet provided with perforations of differing sizes, registering with the said duct to admit varying amounts of air thereto.

'28. A valve member provided with a plurality of operating portions, a pneumatic communicating with the said valve member to actuate one of said portions in advance of the other portion by impulses of varying force, a tracker duct for the said pneumatic, and a valve sheet provided with varying sizes of perforations registering with the said duct to admit varying amounts of air thereto to produce the said varying force of impulse.

29. A valve member provided with a plurality of operating portions, a pneumatic communicating with the said valve member at a point nearer to one of said operating portions than to the other operating portion,

pneumatic operatively connected with the said lever, and means for operating the pneumatic to overcome the said different resistances of the lever.

31. The combination, in organ actions, of a plurality of note-sounding devices, independent communications thereto, an operatmg lever provided with means for making bination a lever, a plurality of note-sounding connections selectively controlled by the leand breaking the saidcommunications, means 101' applying different y elding resistances' to the movements of the respective making'and breaking means of the lever, a

pneumatic operativelyconnected with the .said lever, a tracker duct connecting with said pneumatic, and a valve sheet prcvuled with perforations of different widths regis- 'for applying diflerent resistances to the movement of the pneumatic, a tracker duct communicating with said pneumatic, and a note sheet provided-With perforations of dif- 'ferent widths registering with the duct to admit difiering amounts of air to the pneumatic to overcome the respective difi'erent resistances and thereby control the selection of the note sounding devices to be operated by the pneumatic.

33. The combination, in organ actions, of-

a motor pneumatic, a plurality of notesoundin devices including valve devices for selective y operating the note sounding de vices, and mechanism COII'tIOllIII the selection of the devices to be operated, including means for applying different resistances to the valve devices, a tracker duct communieating with the pneumatic, and a note sheet provided with perforations of different widths registering with the duct to admit difi'erent amounts of air to the pneumatic to overcome the respective resistances.

34. An action for organs, including in comver, a pneumatic motor for operating, the lever and means for imparting impulses of different strength through the motor to the lever to determine the selection of the note sounding devices.

35. An action fororgans, including in combination a lever provided with a plurality of note-sounding connections resilient means for holding the lever with its respective note-sounding connections with different pressures out of their connecting position, a pneumatic motor for operating the lever, and means for admitting impulses of different strength to the motor.

36. An organ action including in combination a plurality of note sounding devices, provided with electric circuit connections, a lever provided with circuit contacts for closing the said circuits, means engaging the lever between the said contacts for yieldingly holding the contacts out of their circuit closing position, and a pneumatic motor also engaging with the said lever at a point between its said contacts and at one side of the point of application of its holding means, whereby the rocking movement of the lever as it is moved by the pneumatic motor closes one of said contacts in advance of closing the other circuit.

37. The combination, in an organ action, of a plurality of air ducts for different notesounding devices, a plurality of contacts for still other note-sounding devices, and a single member provided with a plurality of pallets for closing said ducts and with a plurality of cooperating contacts for the first-named contacts and means for operating the said member to selectively close said ducts and contacts.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification this 28th day of December, 1907, in the presence of two sub scribing witnesses.

J osnrn MERRITT, WM. H. HoNIss.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the fiommiss ioner cf Patents,

Washington, I). G. 

